Hogwarts Revisited
by pumped.up.kicks86
Summary: Hogwarts is proud to announce that after intense rebuilding it's opening its doors to students again, all students who could not complete their education due to the war are welcome to return... even bushy, angry 19 year old women who swear like troopers, sullen blondes with sketchy pasts and grieving men with businesses to run, there's a new trio in town and they aren't golden.
1. Chapter 1: Broken Hearts and Ribs

**Hogwarts Revisited **

**Chapter 1: Broken Hearts and Ribs**

**A/N ok this very much AU, I've tried to stick to who's dead and who's not but for the most part my war timeline is different and for the sake of my story (sorry if you're a stickler for this stuff) Snape did kill Dumbledore but the order were made aware of the whole plan (you'll find out how later) Snape never died cause I like his snarky turn of phrase, while this is a "Back to Hogwarts" tale there'll be no "Hermione had really filled out over the summer in all the right places and Draco was totally buff now quidditch treated him well and blah blah blah" there will however be a lot of swearing and perhaps some obscure references to Scotland (those things go hand in hand) there will be romance afoot and funnies and things that I like to read… I'm rambling (also this will not effect the DOEM story it's just a means for me to express some of the stuff I can't write about in that Story) and that's about all you need to know. Please enjoy and review and remember Kicks loves you… I don't own Harry Potter… I do own a lovely set of collectable Star wars marbles and a 1/3 scale William Shatner doll that talks so put that in your pipe and smoke it JK. **

Hermione Granger was a planner; she liked to plan everything out, each point connecting to the next. Attend school, get good grades, make friends, graduate school, go to university, briefly experiment with sex drugs and rock'n'roll, get good grades, graduate university, get good job, meet a man, get married, have a baby, give that baby a cool name that's easy to say, teach that baby everything she knew… and so on… She had secretly made this list at 10 in her room underneath her Flintstone's duvet, her torch perched on her knee and within a year a spanner had been thrown into her meticulous life plan, she was a witch, to be honest how could she have ever predicted that… never mind… she adjusted the plan; attend wizarding school, get good grades, make friends… then another spanner, her friend was Harry Potter and he had a mortal enemy who would soon become her mortal enemy, an addendum had to be made to her plan… defeat dark lord… and then she could graduate and the rest would follow on, surely… or not. An almost nineteen year old Hermione Granger sat anxiously at her kitchen table flicking through the pages of her nine year old journal looking at her meticulous life plan and sighing, the addendum known as Lord Voldemort had fucked up her life plan, selfish shit that he was. There was a sudden tapping on the window and her mother, only recently returned from Australia and a fantastic childless life she never really had, looked up sadly.

"There's an owl at the window dear." She said softly, still not quite pleased that her daughter had shipped her off and tampered with her brain.

"Thanks ma." Hermione replied standing from her seat at the scrubbed oak table and walking to the sash window; she took the thick envelope from the large golden owl and smiled as it flew off. It was nice having owl post back, it had been too dangerous during the Dark Lords reign of terror but now he was gone it was good to have them back in the sky.

"another love letter from your 'boyfriend'?" Her dad asked as he entered the kitchen patting Hermione's head lovingly, he had been quicker to forgive, perhaps it was his own time fighting in the military which gave him more empathy or perhaps it was just because she was his little princess and could do no wrong. When she'd 'fixed their noggins' as her dad put it and sat them down, she had spared no detail of her life on the lamb, she had shown them her scars both physically and mentally and Mr Granger couldn't have been prouder; his little book bug was a fighter and she'd saved the world. Mrs Granger was another story, she had been terrified from the moment Hermione had started talking to the end, and while she knew it had been necessary it didn't stop her from throwing up at the thought of her baby angel being tortured and hunted, if only she'd thrown a brick at that first owl she'd seen and not said "Oh look an owl with a letter tied to it's leg is sitting in our living room.".

"It's from Hogwarts dad!" Hermione gasped excitedly, Mrs Granger's heart sank instinctively, that death trap of a school was reopening but she remained silent and continued to wash the dishes, knowing there was no stopping her little angel from doing what she wanted to do… her little angel who was no longer little or an angel… her little angel who had a boyfriend with sleepovers and boobs and a potty mouth, her little angel who was now a veteran of war who had night terrors and jumped and sometimes held you at wand point if you didn't announce yourself, her little angel who could pop in and out of the room like a ghost.

Hermione held the letter aloft and read aloud, reminding Mrs Granger of the 11 year old Hermione receiving her first Hogwarts letter, brimming with pride and bushy hair refusing a training bra because it overly sexualised pre pubescent girls. Mrs Granger smiled a little.

"Dear Hermione Granger, it is with great pride that we can announce the re-opening of Hogwarts, we are offering an open door policy for all students who due to circumstances were not able to finish their schooling and so all former pupils are invited to return and complete their seventh and final year, we know that this may be challenging but we at the school are willing to offer as much support as the seventh year class needs, we have carefully scheduled your classes based on your OWL's and your previous experience though we are willing to make changes. Hogwarts is starting afresh and while many of the school traditions remain in place there will be a lot of changes, enclosed is your book, equipment and uniform list all of which can be purchased in Diagon alley, a train will leave platform 9 and ¾ on the 1st of September, your ticket is enclosed. We hope to see you soon Hermione, and on a personal note I hope to see you sitting your transfiguration NEWTS and passing with flying colours.

Yours faithfully

Minerva McGonagall"

Hermione placed the letter down on the table and looked at her parents happily, her plan could go back into action, in two weeks time she'd be back in school, she could graduate in a year, she may be a little late but she was back on schedule.

"We'll have to go to that bank Grimguts and exchange some money!" Her dad exclaimed happily, looking over the list of things she'd need.

"Daddy I've got all the money I need in Gringotts, in fact I've got enough money for you and mum to get a nicer house if you wanted or a bigger practice or quit work all together and live on a beech somewhere." Hermione smiled softly at her father who shook his head; there was a loud crash from the sink.

"I don't want their blood money." Mrs Granger growled spinning round to look at her smiling daughter.

"Mum it's not…" Hermione was interrupted.

"They sent children to fight a war then fobbed them off with gold when it was all over, it is blood money, money for your lost youth and I shan't take a penny." Mrs Granger sobbed into the handkerchief she had tucked up the sleeve of her pink cardigan.

"I'll talk to her, you best be off and speak to Ronald, I'm sure he's as excited as you." Her father smiled kindly and indicated Hermione should leave.

Hermione had expected that the next days would be a magical time of packing and buying and planning instead it was essentially one long day of fighting, arguing, throwing and broken hearts.

She'd apparated to the Burrow as soon as the letter arrived to find Ron's unopened lying next to his breakfast on the table, Ron was shovelling as much food as possible into the hole at the front of his head and decidedly ignoring the letter. Molly stood, clearly angry, at her stove making more fuel for the never ending burner that was Ron's gut.

"Speak some sense into him Hermione!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed before storming into the yard to no doubt kick some gnomes.

"Ignore her and come give us a kiss." Ron stretched out his arms and suddenly reminded Hermione of a needy toddler begging to be picked up, she pushed the thought aside.

"You've got egg all over your face… what's your mum talking about?" Hermione perched herself tentatively in the chair beside Ron, a great sense of foreboding hovering over her.

"She thinks I should go back to school, but I said 'what's the point?' Harry and Ginny aren't going…" Hermione was not shocked at all by this, as soon as the war was over Harry had married and impregnated Ginny within the space of a week, finally creating the family unit he had longed for his whole life "I've got money and a career and…" Hermione interrupted him.

"Playing quidditch for a third division team is not a career Ron." She sighed rubbing her temples.

"Pish posh lover, I just got signed by the Glasgow Thistles, and because one of the big Scottish teams went into liquidation we've been bumped up to division 1. Now I think, you come up north with me; we buy a house and live it large. You don't really need to work, we can just get married make tons of babies and you can read or something and I'll play for the team" He smiled happily at her and made to kiss her, she leaned back away from his eggy face and looked at him incredulously.

"I can just read or something?" her pitch increased dramatically "I can just read… and pop out your babies? And sit about and do nothing? What exactly is this plan Ron? Is this something you wrote on the back of a napkin one night? Is this the "How to turn Hermione Granger into my mother" plan Ron?" she heard Molly gasp in horror from behind the back door "Ron… I don't want to read and breed, I want to educate myself and get a job and be part of a relationship where I'm respected. I can't be your mother, and I wont, she chose to be a housewife and good on her that's what feminism is, making a decision for yourself, but that's not my choice Ron, I want to go back to school and get my NEWTS and a good job and be respected…" he stopped her with a raised hand

"I hear you babe, and you and I both know you don't need to get your NEWTS to get a job, I mean you're Hermione Granger, we can move up North and you can get a job at the Scottish Ministry I'm sure they'd be happy to have you in the blink of an eye." He patted her hand as if to indicate the discussion was over and continued to eat.

"I don't want some honorary position in some devolved ministry, I want to get training and work as a healer or a lawyer or a freaking architect, I want to fulfil the fucking potential everyone says I have."

"You've already done that Hermione, you've proven yourself don't you just want to relax?" Ron's tone had finally matched Hermione's in seriousness; he had also dropped his fork a sure sign that he was being riled.

"I'm not even 19 Ron don't you think it's a bit early to be giving up and settling down?" she spat, standing from the rickety chair Molly had refused to replace on sentimental grounds.

"Harry's done it." Ron now red in the face yelled.

"You're not Harry… Jesus Ron when are you going to get that through your thick skull? Harry has a wife and a kid, not because he couldn't be bothered doing anything else but because that's what he wanted he's got a good job…" he interrupted her again.

"He plays Quidditch too!" Ron yelled a piece of scrambled egg flying off his cheek.

"Yes but he's good at it." Hermione roared back before she could stop herself, she heard Molly gasp again; Ron looked like she'd punched him. And then it descended into an all out screaming match and after an hour of tears and red faced name calling the pair had called it quits.

"Go to Glasgow Ron, play quidditch, find a wife who'll spawn you a whole army of gingers, do whatever you want but know this… we're done… I'm not waiting for you and I will move on." She said as she made to walk out of the Burrow for what she feared would be the last time.

"Move on? Hermione nobody else will want you, I'm the best thing you've ever had." He screamed throwing a piece of toast at her retreating form.

"If that's true then the world truly is a cruel place." She uttered before apparating back to her home and a mother who embraced her warmly happy to be needed and secretly happy that her daughter would no longer be having sleepovers with a ginger headed cretin with the table manners of an ogre.

Hermione sat on the Hogwarts express feeling completely lost, for the first time in her life she would be heading to school with no real friends, no support circle, just her and the cloud of rage which now hung around her. She and her mother had somewhat reconnected over her break up; Ron had turned up at the family home at 2am the night they'd broken up, shouting up at her window and it had been Mrs Granger who'd screamed him into submission, Telling him Hermione was far too good for him and that when he'd sobered up he'd realise that it was he who'd lost the best thing _He'd_ ever had and not the other way around. Hermione almost didn't want to go back, she wanted to be a little girl again. She wanted to sit at her mothers feet while she knitted and sang old songs about broken hearts and depressed women, she wanted to eat stew and dough balls and play her father at backgammon… Hermione wanted to hide and Mrs Granger although full of resentment for the school which put her daughter in such danger also knew it was the one place Hermione could heal and get back her spunk and so it had been Mrs Granger who headed the back to school shopping trip, and Mrs Granger who had waved her daughter sternly back onto the crimson train. " You go show them what we Granger women are made of Hermione, and never let them forget that you're the bloody smartest witch of your age or so I've been told a hundred times… or are all those bloody people wrong?" her mother had said as she almost shoved her onto the train and so Hermione sat, gloomily drawing sad faces in the steamed up window of the stationary train, giving any children who dared enter her compartment the evil eye. She heard the door slide open and prepared to glare at the intruder when she stopped at the sight of flaming red hair, an irrational part of her brain screamed "RON!" but stopped when she saw the squared jaw and sturdier frame of George Weasley attached to the flaming red hair.

"hi George" she said quietly eyeing the one eared man dragging his trunk behind him.

"Hello Hermione, miss me?" he attempted a grin but managed only a half smile, half of him lost to the memory of Fred.

"Oh very much, what are you doing here?" she asked trying not to sound too sympathetic, she knew he hated that.

"going back to school, going to get my NEWTS… Fred always said he wanted to come back after the war and get his qualifications so… since he can't here I am." He managed rather well at holding it together; Molly had informed Hermione that George had spent a great deal of time in st Mungo's to help with his depression.

"That's good, you always were smarter than you let on… I'm glad I'll have a bit of competition this year." She smiled kindly as George made to sit down across from her.

"Mum's fell out with Ron, she says he treated you terribly and he deserves to be dumped." George almost grinned at his little brothers woeful life "Says she heard him telling you that he wanted you to just have babies and not work."

"That was the gist of it, so Molly's not mad at me?" Hermione tugged at the black t-shirt she was wearing nervously.

"Not at all, I mean I think she's a little put off that you think her life's so shit but she understands that you're not her." George subconsciously tugged his hair over his missing ear.

The train started to move and Hermione and George fell into a comfortable silence which was broken when the door slid open again, both set their faces into glare mode again fearful they'd be overrun by a bunch of curious 11 year olds wanting to know what the war was like, instead a tall blonde figure lurched in looking both sullen and guilty;

"Sorry, I'll find somewhere else." He said but was interrupted by a wave of George's hand

"Don't be daft Malfoy, join us, we're sitting in silence, it's lovely." George said waving Malfoy in.

Draco entered the compartment fully, his eyes down cast and a pained expression on his pale and gaunt face. His face always looked like that, she remembered the first time he walked in a door looking pained, the pain had been more physical that time but he was still stoic, she remembered it like some people remember the day Kennedy died. Though she knew people wouldn't ask "where were you the day Malfoy switched sides" she'd never forget… there was too much blood to forget.

_It had been over a year ago_

_Harry and Snape had been out on some mission, some secret thing that had Ginny in a spin, it had been almost a year ago and the war had been in full swing. Hermione had taken up the role as unofficial healer in Grimmauld place, she was good at it, even Madeye turned to her on occasion for one of her healing salves or counter curses… there she was at 17 patching up war torn men and women like a pro. Harry and Snape were late… they had promised to return before sunset but it was already dark, Ginny was sobbing and the rest were looking worried Hermione however maintained an optimism that all was well, that Harry and Snape would return soon enough unharmed and perfectly happy, she had almost been right._

_The main door flew open and Harry entered, a body propped up on his left shoulder, Snape followed quickly behind, there was a trail of blood and everyone made to move forward and help this fallen soldier Harry had dragged in… then they stopped when they saw who it was, a usually sneering face was pained, eye's screwed up hard and blood drenching his robes, Blonde hair was now pink with even more blood, grime and tears masked the pointed face. Hermione was the only one who continued forward, everyone else stared._

_"Are you hurt?" Hermione asked Harry as she took the weight of Draco from him._

_"No…nothing a little pepper up and a nap won't solve… he's… he's in a pretty bad way Hermione, can you help him?" Harry clutched a stitch in his side as Hermione dragged Draco towards the library which had become her makeshift hospital wing. Nobody moved to help, everyone just stared._

_"I don't know, I'll have to look him over first, are you all going to gawp? Will one of you not help me?" Hermione had yelled at the gathered onlookers, it was Tonks who broke rank to aid Hermione in her moving of Draco, levitation was too risky when someone was injured, any sort of unnecessary magic always was, 'best know what your dealing with before you point a wand at it' that's what Hermione always said._

_"you can't seriously want to help him? It's Draco Fucking Malfoy." Ron spat angrily at Hermione._

_"I may not be trained but for the time being I am a healer and that comes with a certain responsibility…" Harry stepped in between Hermione and the fuming Ron._

_"Mate, he needs our help and we're going to give it to him" Ron made to protest "This is not a discussion, we're not in school any more, and he stays."_

_"But he's a death eater!" a voice came from the crowd of gathered Order members._

_"Not any more he's not." Snape replied shortly closing the door behind Hermione and Tonks hoping to shield his godsons already tarnished ears from the calls of outrage following his battered and broken body._

_Hermione with the help of Tonks lifted Malfoy onto the sterilised table she used for the more battered wizards, he was soaked in blood and Hermione quickly realised she was also soaked in his blood. Tonks moved away and silently exited the library, she was never that good with blood and gore, not like Hermione, she couldn't compartmentalise it like Hermione could. Wordlessly Hermione began removing Draco's robes; he struggled a little against her persistent hands._

_"let me die." He whispered clutching her hand with shocking strength._

_"no." Hermione said sternly and tried to break his grip._

_"Let me die." He croaked, more tears escaping his bloodshot and bruised eyes._

_"When have I ever done anything you've told me to?" Hermione retorted and resumed her diligent removal of his blood soaked robes. He either passed out or gave up fighting her, she never really knew but she soon found the source of the blood, a large mass of torn and burnt flesh on his left forearm was haemorrhaging painfully._

_The door to the library swung open and Snape ran in looking both shaken and exhausted, "we just got there in time, Narcissa was dead… Lucius killed her, Draco killed him then took the wand to himself he tried to remove the dark mark, I think he used fiendfyre, a knife… god knows what else… can you save him?" Snape almost choked the last part out in a sob shocking Hermione to her core._

_"I need help professor, I need you to find… there's a little bottle in my room marked salve 14, it's the strongest I've made to date, I was saving it for a rainy day and if this isn't a rainy day I don't know what is." She rolled her sleeves up and Snape caught sight of the word MUDBLOOD carved in her skin, he shook his head in wonder at the skinny girl before him tending her enemy's wounds. Wordlessly he ran from the room and made his way to the girl's sanctum to find the tincture._

_Hermione observed a now almost naked Draco, she'd spared him the indignity of removing his boxers, and he was almost as thin as her… dark lord's seemed to play havoc on ones appetite. She started her ministrations quickly, casting a very succinct disinfection charm on his whole body, cleaning out the large wound on his arm and the smaller cuts on the rest of his body. She put a tourniquet on his bicep to stem the flow of blood before casting some of the strongest healing charms she could on the open wound, there was a good chance it would never heal given what was formerly on it. The skin seemed to want to stitch and heal she could tell that much, she ran to the bookcase and pulled out a dusty manuscript on fiendfyre, she returned to him and cast another charm, the larger welts and blisters seemed to subside, the open wound still remained and he was still losing blood. Quickly she performed a little spell of her own devising, inspired by muggle medicine and great for battlefield surgery, a symbiotic blood transfusion, she pointed the wand directly at her own arm and then to his, she felt a little light headed but knew she could stand to lose a pint if it meant saving him... " now you're a bit mudblood Malfoy." She said whimsically observing his pale almost lifeless face. Snape returned suddenly holding the tiny vial, he handed it to her and watched as she applied it quickly to the gash, it seemed to stem the blood if not heal the actual wound. With a flick of her wand gauze was flying out and wrapping tightly round the fore arm which once was marked by evil and now was bloody with remorse._

_"If I give you the recipe will you make more, professor?" she asked not looking at Snape and instead taking note of the less serious injuries spattered across Malfoy's frame._

_"of course" Snape replied, with another flick of her wand Snape was holding a complex potion instruction, he looked at it with almost awe._

_"He'll need another application in at least 12 hours, that should be just enough time" she said aloud, inside she told herself that keeping Snape busy and useful was the best thing for him. Snape was gone to his room and she was back to noting the injuries; a quill and parchment appeared floating beside her head and began scribbling as she spoke_

_"Three… no make that four broken ribs, one fractured tibia, lacerations to the face and neck, bruising around the eyes, busted up lip, grazing to the knees and elbows, a broken big toe, sprained ankle and some superficial burns to the thigh and torso… jesus Malfoy you've certainly been through the ringer." She hadn't expected him to reply but he did "am I going to die?" he asked as he grabbed her hand, his hands shaking uncontrollably._

_"No Malfoy, I told you I wouldn't let you." She smiled sadly and extracted herself from his grip. She made to heal him and he lay in silence for the most, sometimes he'd sob and sometimes he'd remember his mother was dead and call out most of the time he was falling in and out of consciousness._

_Draco Malfoy had been bed ridden for a whole month, Hermione had nursed him back to health, her only help had been Snape… they had almost bonded over the boy, taking turns to sit with him through the night while countless fevers ravaged his brain and ravished his pale skin. Eventually he'd been well enough to sit up and soon after he could walk, he and Hermione never really spoke other than the usual "how are you feeling today?" he didn't pick on her though, he didn't call her mudblood, he didn't even criticise her hair. He just sat and stared at nothing, probably post traumatic stress she thought. The large wound on his arm would never heel completely he would retain that scar for his life, when she told him this he'd smiled;_

_"Better a scar than the mark." He'd said "I don't feel him calling me any more, I'd heard father say nothing but fiendfyre could remove the mark and break the spell… he was right." He had eventually thanked her for saving him and then he set about to be useful, while Ron, Harry and Hermione were out hunting Hurcruxes he'd remained at Grimmauld place offering very detailed insights into the behaviours of those closest to the Dark lord, their secrets, their weaknesses, their spells of choice, this had proven very useful in the final battle._

_On the occasions when Hermione returned to the old house looking weaker and paler and thinner than usual he'd taken it upon himself to cajole her to eat and sleep, teasing her and occasionally joking with her but only when they were alone and he never behaved like this with anyone else. One night when they were both alone in the library, Draco's favourite spot in the house and Hermione's, She'd been dozing on a saggy chair and had told him that he had a pint of her blood running through his veins… she had expected him to be annoyed or shocked, instead he smiled "I was wondering why I'd suddenly developed a love of libraries and fat ginger cats…" He had looked after crookshanks while she was away and then when the great battle of Hogwarts was fought he'd stood shoulder to shoulder with her, killing the men and women he used to call family… and then it was over and Hermione went to find her parents and he went… well he just went, to sort himself out she supposed, to sort his family home and claim his inheritance. He was one of the few former death eaters whose fortune hadn't been seized by the ministry; the gold that had been seized from other death eaters was promptly doled out as compensation to those who had played predominant roles in the Order and to the reconstruction of Hogwarts._

_Occasionally (and she never told anyone this, specifically Ron) she'd write to him, occasionally became once a week, not long letters just "are you alive?" and he'd write back a short "Yes, are you?" sometimes she'd add "Crookshanks misses you" and he'd write "Tell him I don't miss finding a ginger fur ball sleeping in my underwear drawer!"_

And now here they were face to face, for the first time since the battle, on the train back to school… and it felt uncomfortable.

T.B.C


	2. Chapter 2: Normal Girls and New Girls

**Chapter 2: Normal Girls and New Girls**

**a/n: Thanks for all the amazing reviews, you guys are the shizzle. This chapter I fear contains a lot of foreshadowing but it's all for a good cause… the story. For later reference " Cannae" means "Can't" I hope you like my new character and don't mind her grammatically incorrect pattern of speech If your having difficulty placing her accent just look up Orkney and there'll bound to be a video of someone speaking. Ok… enjoy… I hope.**

The compartment remained silent, George had slumped into his seat and fiddled idly with a piece of string staring blankly out of the window, his eyes sometimes widened like he was having an animated conversation with a person only he could see. No doubt he was thinking about Fred, maybe even chatting to him, Hermione supposed if you knew someone that well you'd be able to do that, cause you'd know what they'd say… she sometimes asked the dead questions in her head, she'd never tell anyone that though for fear she'd also have to do a stint in St Mungo's, and then they'd know, they'd all know that she wasn't 'totally fine' they'd know that she was 'a bit damaged' as her mother put it, and she didn't want to be 'damaged' nobody wanted 'damaged stuff' she was snapped out of her reverie when the door slid open and she turned to see a tall chubby girl with black curly hair and a round white face.

"Are you's teachers or something?" the girl who could be no more than 13 said in a broad Scottish accent.

"No." Hermione replied shortly looking the child up and down.

"Are you like working for the school then? Are you meant to be looking after the people on the train like a conductor or something? Cause see if you are, you're doing a shite job… I've just walked past a wee lassie that's got her head jammed in a window." She said sternly looking at the people she perceived as 'adults'.

"Who are you?" George asked a small smile twitching at his lips.

"I'm Maggie McDuffie, it's my first time going up tae the school, my mammy and Da said I couldn't go before because if they were killing cheeky half bloods then I'd be the first for the chop. So my folks taught me at home, it was well boring… plus we like live on an island and there's only about 3 other witches on it and their all auld and smell like cat pee." She sighed and looked at the three expectantly "So are you going to tell me who yous are or am I supposed to know… I mean you Cannae be students you's are all about thirty." She smiled cheekily as she blatantly over estimated the ages of her new train 'friends'.

"I'm Hermione, this is Draco and that over there is George Weasley… we are students." Hermione indicated the two boys, knowing this little girl would find it hard to make friends with her forthright attitude; the little girl completely ignored Draco and Hermione and swung her whole rather daunting frame round to George… "Weasley as in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" The girl smiled broadly as George nodded. "Holy Mackerel, my mammy say's you're the bane of her existence… I mean I can't believe you delivered to Orkney… I spend all my pocket money on jokes! I love them, I turned all my daddy's pants pink with your colour bomb and then I slipped my ma a canary cream and my cat tried to eat her… It was well funny!" She clutched her sides and chuckled heartily and George couldn't help but grin back at the odd girl now standing in the middle of their compartment.

"any hoo, I think that lot out there sent me in here to make a fool of myself but it takes more than some awkward conversation to get to Maggie, my Mammy says I could talk my way out of anything, it's just you see I'm a wee bit out of the loop with everything that's gone on cause my Da said it would scare my hair straight… so…" She was looking straight at George her prankster hero "Would it be alright if once in a wee while I asked you for some advice and stuff?" she was literally beet red, her mother's parting words rang in her ears _"find some older kids and get them to help you and if anyone tries to mess with you just flick them in the throat… it's sore and doesn't leave a mark" _George almost fully grinned at Maggie McDuffie and nodded, Fred would've liked her… she had gumption. "awe cheers pal you wont regret it, I better get back out there… there's about ten of my fellow students waiting, who are curious as hell about you lot… must be because you've got George Weasley in here!" and with that, the odd interlude with Maggie McDuffie from the island of Orkney ended and she was gone from the compartment, leaving a sense that there was less oxygen than when she came in.

"She's got to be a Gryffindor." Draco chuckled not looking up from his hands, Hermione and George chuckled a little too.

"We better get our robes on we'll be there soon." George said unenthusiastic at the very notion of having to wear a school uniform at his age. Hermione looked a little perturbed "I usually say that." She uttered feeling lost in the frenzy of new beginnings, like she wasn't herself any more; George and Draco looked at her as she gathered her belongings and headed to the toilet leaving them to change freely in the compartment.

'You'd think they'd have somehow managed bigger toilets' she thought to herself as the train jostled her around, making her crash into the walls as she pulled her t-shirt off. After 15 minutes she stared at herself in the mirror… it wasn't that bad… she could just cover herself up with a robe or something… Malfoy probably knew a spell to fix it… surely he did… she pulled the billowing robe tight around her and dashed back for the compartment hoping one of her comrades could aid her in her current predicament. When she entered she found Draco and George looking at her in confusion, she'd been gone a while and she looked properly flustered. She dropped the robe… now had she been a 'normal girl' as Ron had put it she'd have sought out another female for help, or kept schtum about her little problem or at least she could have been a little more coy about the whole thing… but as Ron was always reminding her she was not a 'normal girl'

_Six months ago_

"_Did you really need to answer the door in your bra?" Ron had yelled, almost purple in the face. _

_"It's a sports bra Ron; I wear this when I go out jogging!" He snapped round at her, clearly this was news to him. _

"_You jog about your parent's street in a bra?" he asked, incredulity dripping from every syllable. _

"_Yes Ron… when it's hot its appropriate sports wear and besides it's not like Harry hasn't seen me in a bra before!" She screamed waving her finger. _

_Harry had popped round to Ron's while Hermione was having a 'sleep over' and she had greeted and hugged Harry as she stood in her Bra as if it was no biggy, to Harry's credit he'd been just as cool about the whole thing, she was right he had seen her and hugged her in a bra before, but Ron would not, could not stand for 'his woman' being ogled by anyone… Harry sensing the brewing tension had left the pair to get on with it and secretly hoped they'd break up sooner rather than later._

"_I just don't get why you can't for once, behave like a normal girl!" Ron hollered as he threw himself back onto his bed. _

"_I don't know who this normal girl you want me to be is Ron?" Hermione whispered feeling defeated and not nearly as confident as she should. _

"_How about when we're you know… making love you don't order me about, why do you do that Hermione?" he groaned rolling so his face was now buried in his pillow. _

_She wanted to say 'because you don't know what you're doing' but instead opted for "you know I've got some control issues Ron, I don't mean to be a nag." 'Placate him, just placate him and then the fight will end and you can go to sleep.' She told herself as she wearily perched on the end of his bed and patted his calf. _

"_Can't you just let me be in charge for once? Be like a good girlfriend and normal and just let me take care of stuff?" he said pleadingly, completely oblivious to the awfulness of the words that had just spewed forth from his gaping head hole. Hermione nodded, she had read in a book once that to be in a good relationship women had to make sacrifices and men had to think they'd won or the balance wouldn't be right or something. She had hated that book, but heeded its advice because; at the end of the day it was a book. _

_And so she lay beside him and let him "take care of stuff" which translated to "I'm going to take care of me, say some clichéd dirty stuff while I pummel you unceremoniously and then pat your head like you're a good puppy before rolling over and falling asleep." She really should have realised then that it was doomed. _

And so she stood there in the compartment, a little more comfortable in the knowledge that she wasn't a 'normal girl' and looked to her only two friends on the train for some help. George and Draco stared at her open mouthed and feeling particularly aware of their own… manliness.

"You look…" Draco started.

"I look like a stripper Malfoy…" there was no other adjective to describe it "I look like a stripper with a heart of gold who's only stripping to put herself through college... But a stripper nonetheless." Hermione's predicament was as follows, Hermione had grown somewhat since she had last donned her school uniform almost two and a half years ago, and Hermione being the less than the 'normal girl' that she should have been had refused to buy a new school uniform and instead had opted to just reuse her old one… her old shirt was almost bursting at the seams particularly round her bust, her old skirt would no longer button round her hips and seemed at least ten times shorter than when she had last worn it last. Her sweater… well she'd almost strangled herself with that in the toilet and had opted to ram it violently back into her bag.

"Fix me!" she whined looking at the pair in irritation, when they didn't move she sighed loudly "You're both good wizarding boys, you must know some tailoring charm, something to make my clothes fit! I genuinely didn't think I'd have a use for any sort of domestic magic and clearly that's my mistake but just… for the love of all that's good fix me so I don't have to walk back into school looking like I've just finished filming naughty school girls 4 return of the bookworm, ok?" She was vexed and exasperated and wished that Ginny was there to offer her sympathy but alas she had two gawking men staring transfixed at the gaps in her blouse.

Draco shook himself right and stood, he could do this; he had helped his mother during her yoyo dieting, fixed her dresses so they didn't strain on the slight belly she had been hiding from her picky husband.

"I can't believe I've gotten this big" Hermione wailed to the world at large.

"You've not gotten big you've…" George started but was interrupted by the frazzled woman.

"If you say 'filled out nicely', or 'blossomed' or 'developed' I will cut off your other ear, d'you hear me? Now let's just get me fixed and then never ever speak of this again… right?" they both nodded and Draco took a step towards her.

"Lift your arms out like this." He indicated his arms out like he was being crucified, she complied and he began elongating her shirt and widening the waist and bust a little… but not too much, he knew how to make a woman look good and he wouldn't want her swamped in white cotton. When he was done with her shirt he eyed the skirt.

"I'd hold on to that if I were you, might fall down." He warned in hushed tones, again she complied with no words, very aware of his proximity, his warm breath brushing against her covered stomach as he kneeled down to inspect the garment perhaps a little too closely. George looked away, feeling he was intruding on something intimate and private, Draco thought he was on autopilot but when he came face to face with her thighs he realised that what he was doing was far from 'everyday'… he'd heard Ron shout at her that she wasn't a 'normal girl' as if this was a bad thing, for the brief second in which he remembered he was a teenage boy he was grateful she wasn't. Without further thought he lengthened the skirt to just past her knees and widened the waist band so she should finally button the grey material. She sighed in relief and slumped back into her seat, "thanks Malfoy." She said only the slightest of blushes creeping up her cheeks.

"No problem" he replied not looking at her as he sat back down next to George who was just relieved that the whole ordeal was over with. There was a large throaty yawn from somewhere above their heads, and Hermione looked up excitedly "Crookshanks' is awake!" she cheered reaching up to bring his cat box down, she opened the small door and let the giant ginger ball of fur climb onto her lap, he stretched gracefully and sniffed the air before turning round sharply to look at the two boys, not the usual two boys, it was the funny one and the strange one crookshanks thought… he liked the strange one, he gave him treats and let him sleep on his bed. Crookshanks leapt off of Hermione's knee and walked with a little bit of swagger over to Draco, he danced contentedly between Draco's ankles before climbing up, sitting on his lap and staring at him fixedly. Draco reached out a hand to let the cat sniff him, crookshanks decided to cut the niceties and went straight to rubbing his head against Malfoy's open palm

"How have you been mate?" Crookshanks said to the man who couldn't understand him, all Draco heard was a weird throaty purr.

"He seems happy to see you." Hermione said as she grinned at Draco, memories of their secret letters floated into her mind. Most if not all had included some sort of reference to the fat ginger cat.

"I'm happy to see him." Draco said quietly, using every ounce of self restraint he had not to pick up the cat and hug it tightly, he was far too fond of Hermione's cat.

The large Crimson steam engine lumbered to a halt in the darkened station and Hermione's chest tightened, she was more scared now than she had been on her very first day, she was so scared in fact that she didn't hear Draco ask her a question or see George pull her trunk down. She was locked in her own thoughts, thoughts of dead children and dead adults, screaming loved ones and white faced eerily silent parents identifying their children. She was rigid and unmoving, she wanted to vanish into thin air and never return and then a white tentative hand reached out and gently settled on her shoulder and her head turned slowly to look at it, sound coming back to her.

"We're here Granger." He said simply but didn't move his hand from her shoulder.

"Ok" was all she could muster in response as she stood and lifted her cloak.

"Shall I put the cat back in his box?" Draco asked uncertainly still holding a purring crookshanks, still holding Hermione's shoulder. Hermione looked at him the words that reached her ears took a while to register she shook her head "Just let him go, he likes to find his own way to the castle, he stops in on Fang and some other weird creatures in the forest" she said slowly looking at the cat as breath and heat returned to her body, she looked round at George who was steadying himself with deep breaths and felt a pang of despair. Unthinkingly she reached out and took George's hand, they stood there for a good few minutes Crookshanks purring into Draco's neck, Draco's hand on Hermione's shoulder and Hermione's hand in Georges, a new not so golden trio prepared themselves to revisit Hogwarts.

Hermione had not been looking forward to seeing the Thestrals, they stood as a constant reminder to all those who had seen death, and surely almost anyone above the age of 17 had seen death and even those younger, she was shocked and pleasantly surprised therefore to see beautiful, giant, powder blue horses pulling the coaches now. The joyous chorus of excited children seemed to lift all of their spirits as they approached the last coach in the line, all exceptionally relieved when nobody opted to join them. George and Draco sad side by side again both facing Hermione; she looked at them resolutely:

"I know this is going to be hard, we've all got our own reasons but… we've all got each others backs right?" what had started as a reassuring statement had ended up a slightly betraying question. She had shown them her vulnerability and honestly she didn't really mind.

George nodded and looked round at Draco who was staring at Hermione; "Of course, I mean I owe you, both of you to an extent." Draco uttered, never one to be swept up in the drama of a situation.

"I'm going to come sit with you" she stated suddenly, the two men were bemused but attempted to shuffle over to make room on their side of the bench to allow Hermione to join them. 'Perhaps she needs some hand holding or something' Draco thought a panicked heat creeping up his neck.

"No, not here, I mean in the great hall Malfoy. I'm not going to let you sit alone as the old hermit of Slytherin I'm going to come sit with you at the feast, you in George?" She asked looking expectantly at the red head who grinned inwardly at the girl's compassion and also the idea of invading Slytherin territory so blatantly.

"Oh… thanks" was all Draco could muster, he had been dreading sitting at that bloody table, he had almost considered sitting at the Gryffindor bench had the very notion not made the primal part of him sob.

Their first proper look at Hogwarts had made Hermione's eyes well, the staff and the ministry had done a wonderful job, the castle gleamed white in the moonlight. Every brick looked new and fresh. A large round stained glass window was prominent above the main entrance, a Lion lounged lazily as a snake wound gently round his paws, the snakes head rested on a badger's head and an eagle perched easily on the badgers back house unity was clearly a prominent theme. Hermione, flanked by Draco and George made her way up the clean white stairs, they were the last to enter and it felt right… she had been the last to leave after the final battle, medics often were. They made their way to the great hall and Hermione stopped short and couldn't help but smile, McGonagall had clearly stood by her word to Dumbledore to improve school unity. Seven polished tables sat parallel to the teachers table in rows filling the hall from front to back. The first years were situated nearest the teachers and the seventh years nearest the doors at the rear of the hall, large numbers floated over the table indicating where the students should sit.

"Looks like we wont be invading Slytherin territories after all." George said quietly as he stood behind a still Hermione.

"It's brilliant." Hermione breathed moving slowly towards a seat, George and Malfoy sitting either side of her. Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood were already sitting side by side facing them, both smiled at the trio kindly. Seamus Finnegan was sitting on Deans other side looking tired but glad to see them. Luna opened her mouth to speak but was cut short when McGonagall's voice boomed over the crowd, Hermione looked up and down her table, it wasn't full but there were at least 20 people;

"Students, I am your headmistress Professor McGonagall and it is with great pride in my heart that I welcome both and old and new students to Hogwarts." Her voice caught a little and Hermione saw quite a few students rub at their eyes "Things have changed here in Hogwarts, we feel that in a time of new freedoms we should progress and develop, while houses will still remain to offer incentives to students in sports, academia and good deeds our lives will no longer revolve around them. You will all still be answerable to your heads of houses, for Slytherin that's professor Snape, for Hufflepuff Professor Hagrid, for Ravenclaw Professor Flitwick and for Gryffindor Professor Babbling, I'm sure they're all more than excited to meet you all and guide you through your studies" By the look on Snape's face this was far from true, Malfoy smirked at his god father. "But as I was saying, you will no longer sleep in house dorms" there was a growing murmur in the hall, only the first and seventh years remained silent "You will be allocated new year group common rooms, this room will remain with you until seventh year, you will share dorms with your housemates… of your own gender, and when in seventh year you shall move to the seventh year tower where you will have your own private bedroom and study area… isn't that nice" Hermione was grinning, no more studying with hyper 11 year olds climbing all over her asking for help, no more sharing rooms with bitchy girls… she stopped she wouldn't think of them as bitchy not now. "Now, I understand this is a lot for you all to take in, but we must all at this moment remember how lucky we are to be here and how important it is for us to pioneer a new more cooperative wizarding world, lest the mistakes of the past be repeated." She sighed and steadied herself on her walking stick, "now ladies and gents, we will have the sorting." Snape brought forward a baggy and tired looking hat perched on a three legged stool "First years and new students you will come forward when I read your name" the headmistress said smiling reassuringly at the pale faced youths fretting before her. "But first the sorting hats song!" The hat stood (if hats could stand) to attention and its seam opened dramatically before it began.

"Although our houses may seem silly and not worth all the fuss, we don't pick you willy nilly and sort you all we must. These halls you will soon scurry are filled with ghosts of the brave, so please never be too hurried to remember it's your lives they saved. Upon these stones did perish the following…" and he began to list, name after name of those who'd died in the battle she heard "Colin Creevey" and let out a sob, she heard another sob from two tables over and saw Dennis, shoulders shuddering, "Lavender Brown" Hermione shook her head and tried to stop herself from an all out melt down "Fred Weasley" She felt George tense up beside her and grabbed his hand again "Vincent Crabbe" she felt Draco tense up beside her "He shouldn't be on that list" he hissed, she put a reassuring hand on his which was balled on the table "He was a child, a misguided child, his death should be acknowledged if not mourned" she whispered quietly back at him, he seemed to calm a little. The list went on and on, over sixty names in total ranging from students to teachers, all ages all bloods… all dead. "And so lest we forget, let us always be grateful to those who fought and died and let us also never forget those who survived, those who lost their family in pursuit of right." And with that said the hat became still again, there was no tumultuous applause, just a few moments of grief dripped sadness. McGonagall made her way to the stool and began calling names, children ran up and eagerly rammed the hat on their head, when houses were called there was some polite applause but nothing like the old days when tables had erupted at their house being called.

It seemed to go on forever, finally the professor was making her way through the new older students who had been home taught up until now, she looked at the bottom of her list "And finally Miss Maggie McDuffie third year." There were some unkind titters from younger students but young Maggie seemed not to hear them, she strode purposefully towards the stool and lifted the hat to her head, it had barely touched the top of her head when it yelled "Gryffindor!" there was a polite applause and then suddenly a burst of "Whoops" from Hermione's left, she looked round to see George standing up and cheering loudly and for a second she could have sworn Fred was standing right beside him. He was so much like the old him, full of mischief and inhibitions, beaming at the red faced girl sitting on the stool. Hermione stood up too and as if in some sort of cry of release from all the sadness and anxiety she let out a triumphant roar too applauding loudly, people were staring open mouthed, some were laughing and a few were joining in. Seamus was now standing on his chair cheering for the kid he'd never met and even Malfoy stood and was whistling loudly, two fingers in his mouth. More applause broke out across the hall, not necessarily for Maggie, just for Hogwarts, for gone souls, for broken wings and open wounds. Cheers and tears mingled as students leapt on to their chairs and cheered wildly, Maggie stood and saluted George at the back of the hall a big grin plastered on her round face. She made her way back to her seat, even the professors were joining in on the cheering. And then it was silent again, the older students and teachers were spent, emotionally exhausted, the younger students just looked bewildered and a little scared then food appeared, mounds of potatoes and Yorkshire puddings, icy pitchers of pumpkin juice and bowls of pulled pork made their mouths water.

Dean Thomas looked around the small group of familiars conspiratorially; "anyone want a little nip of Ice Maiden in their pumpkin juice?" he proffered the hip flask of vodka "maybe raise a toast or something, for the others?" he asked sheepishly.

"Yes please, it's been a long day." Hermione sighed sliding her goblet to him, the rest of the old guard followed suit and soon Dean, Luna, Seamus, Hermione, Draco and George all had far more useful drinks raised, the other students on the table either didn't notice or didn't care.

"What should we say?" Seamus asked

"I don't know it should be something meaningful" Luna said dreamily. They were interrupted by feet slapping on the stones towards them, Maggie McDuffie was fast approaching still a little red.

"Thanks for the welcome, everyone thinks I'm famous or something." She said breathlessly standing next to George at the end of the long table.

"are you kidding, we've got Miss McDuffie, the girl who can talk her way out of anything, the girl who turned her mother into a canary!" George said kindly, she beamed at the group who were still holding their goblets aloft.

"Oh, sorry are yous all doing a toast or something?" she asked stepping back to allow them space.

"We're just trying to think of the right thing to say." Luna said pensively.

"Oh I know a good toast, I do the toast at the Burns Supper every year back home, My daddy lets me drink a wee tiny bit of Whiskey!" she smiled smugly.

"Let's hear it then." Dean said, his arm suddenly feeling heavy.

Maggie McDuffie cleared her throat, people around the hall seemed to stop filling their plates to see what the new girl was up to, she raised her chin and in loud but even tone began "Some have meat but cannae eat and then there's them that want it, but we have meat and we can eat so let the lord be thanked" and with that they clinked their goblets, it was a good toast.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3: Sandals and Sherbet Lemons

**Chapter 3: Wheat Grass Sandals and Sherbet Lemons**

Hermione was annoyed, she was more than annoyed, she was fuming and she was finding it difficult to hide. She was only 15 minutes into her first day and already she felt drained. She had slept in and woken to find herself tangled in a mass of sweat soaked blankets, after dressing hurriedly she had damned her hair and focussed all of her feminine attention on straightening her bangs… the rest of it (and there was plenty… a hairdresser once referred to her as a Shetland pony) was on it's own, she ran from the 7th year common room in a blizzard of black robes and swinging satchel only to realise she had missed breakfast… and now here she was at her first class, marked GAA on her timetable, with the rest of her 20 strong year group. They had entered the room to find no desks but a circle of chairs and a woman sitting crossed legged in the middle of the room, her eyes closed a strange "ooong" like noise escaping from her round mouth. Hermione had cleared her throat and the woman had opened her eyes with a smile, inviting them to sit on either the chairs or the floor. None of them had opted for the floor.

"This is Grieving and Accepting" the woman said airily "I'm Professor Copperpot and the ministry has appointed me as… let's say a spiritual and emotional guide through these difficult times." She stood silently and smiled at them expectantly as if awaiting applause or at least a "hello and welcome to our school" she continued a little disappointed by their silent response;

"In order to heal the emotional scars left by the unpleasantness, we need to open up and share our stories; we need to know we can trust each other and that this is a safe space." She indicated the room with a large windmill gesture.

Professor Copperpot swept about the room, telling them how she was going to help them heal from the troublesome times they'd all had with song and art, Hermione gritted her teeth and tried not to tut, George who was sitting to her left was leaning forward his head in his hands, fingers over his ears no doubt ignoring her and Draco who was sitting to her right shook his head every few seconds.

"I'm sensing a great deal of negativity coming from this side of the room" Professor Copperpot said with a smile which didn't reach her small blue eyes, her overly long sandy hair floated lightly around her stick thin waist, her patchwork floor length skirt and white gypsy top all screamed "I'm earthy!".

"Is Grieving and Accepting going to be in our NEWTS?" Hermione asked shortly, a few of her class mates hid sniggers poorly.

"No." Professor Copperpot responded shortly.

"Then I'm leaving." Hermione stated picking up her satchel and standing.

"This is a ministry ordained class Miss…" the young 'new age' witch left the sentence hanging, waiting for Hermione to respond with her name.

"She's Hermione Granger" Seamus said, incredulity in his voice… how can you be an adult in the wizarding world and not know who Hermione Granger is he wondered.

"Ah… Miss Granger, I understand your apprehension but this is a safe place, please you have the floor why don't you tell us about some of your experiences during the war, share with us Miss Granger." Professor Copperpot smiled and made to sit on the floor again but stopped at the snort of derision which emitted from Hermione.

"No, I don't think I will." Hermione said pulling her cloak on and shaking her head.

"Why not Miss Granger, are you afraid?" there was a note of challenge in the young Woman's voice as she stared down Hermione, who looked more than up for the challenge.

"No I'm not afraid, here's the thing Miss Copperpot…" Hermione was interrupted by the new teacher who seemed to have developed a twitch in her eye.

"It's professor not Miss." The new age woman responded, Hermione ignored her and continued.

"I've never seen you before, I've got no problem sharing my experiences with my class mates, we were all there, and we were all part of the war in some way or another. Now I don't know if you know this, but I was the healer for the order and in my capacity as such I think I met or at least knew of every single person on our side and most on the other too. And there's the thing Miss Copperpot… I've never seen nor heard of you. Call me paranoid, call me cagey, call me whatever but I'm not sitting in some peace circle exposing my wounds to a strange woman who thinks _that_ much patchouli is acceptable." Hermione turned to leave the room.

"I'll have you know I'm a well respected…" Hermione interrupted again.

"Healer? Did you train at St Mungo's then? Do you have a certificate in mental health from the board of wizarding therapy?" Hermione asked tapping her foot impatiently. The woman remained silent, and for Hermione this was answer enough "If any of you know this woman, then speak up, correct me… I just don't want the little time I have to learn being taken up by Miss Copperpot and her wheat grass shoes." They all shook their heads, one girl however, a very pale, very thin girl with dark hair pulled back in an austere bun and a snub nose, cleared her throat.

"I know her." She said haughtily and immediately Hermione knew who she was, that haughty tone and those piercing eyes could only belong to a once plump and vivacious Pansy Parkinson. The girl sitting unassumingly, with no make up and an unchanging expression was not the old Pansy though; this girl looked more like a young McGonagall.

"She's Celesta Copperpot, I met you once at a pure blood fundraiser just when the ministry was falling, you were with your father Miss Copperpot, Arnold isn't it? I remember my father telling me later on that when push came to shove you all packed up and moved to America to avoid the _unpleasantness_… and then when it was all done you came back and your father got a job rather high up in the ministry. There were so few clean wizards left after the war, old Arnold was a shoe in, wasn't he?" Pansy finished and crossed her arms across her now flat chest.

"Is that how you got the job then Miss Copperpot?" Draco asked also standing.

"I am a professor!" the new teacher snapped angrily.

"No Miss, you're a woman who ran away from a fight and has come back to patronise a room full of people who've seen more blood than you'll see in a life time." Hermione spat angrily.

"I was only 19!" Miss Copperpot protested.

"Lovegood and Granger were 15 when they fought in the battle of the astronomy tower, Harry Potter was 18 when he defeated Voldemort age is irrelevant Miss Copperpot." Draco said coolly.

"Both of you… to the Headmistresses office now!" Celesta Copperpot screeched, her long thin finger pointing shakily at the large oak door.

"Oh good, I can go tell my problems to someone who can actually relate to my issues and not a hippy with a mail order degree in hand holding!" Hermione spat angrily before spinning out of the classroom and down the hall, her breath ragged and furious. Draco tailed after her trying desperately to hide the smirk which had crawled onto his face at the sight of the new teachers face.

"Wait up!" Draco panted; she stopped dead and turned to him with tears in her eyes.

"Are you ok?" she remained silent and looking at his feet, her eyes welling heavily and her lower lip trembling, she looked like a child again. "Is it about the… war?" Draco whispered and was shocked when Hermione let out an almost exuberant "HA!" the force of the gesture made the reservoir of tears, finally spill over her lashes and roll down her pail cheeks in fat drops. She swiped at them with the back of her had and struggled to gain control of her lower lip "God no, I'm… this is going to sound very silly" she stammered as she tried to gain control of her staggered breath.

"Granger, we've been through more together than we care to mention… I think it's safe to say that we have as you put it "each others backs" and if you do say something silly and I do happen to tease you… you must know that it's from a good natured place." he patted her arm awkwardly and she grinned through her tears at him

"Jesus Malfoy that's the most I've heard you say in ages…" she cackled and he rolled his eyes "look, it's daft… I just, I haven't actually been told off by a person in authority in quite a while… I'd forgotten just how bad it felt to disappoint a teacher… even if she is just a made up one." She smiled and turned away from him again, walking slowly this time to the headmistress's office allowing Draco to fall into step by her side.

"You're mad Granger, all you've been through and you still cry when you get told off." he smirked and nudged her with his elbow.

"I think it's a Pavlovian response, it's certainly not rational anyway" Hermione clarified, almost all traces of her tears gone, she looked up at him and noted his expression "oh my, it looks like the almost extinct Malfoy smirk has come into play." Hermione commented with a chuckle.

"Well as you shared you're bizarre neurosis with me Granger I feel it only polite to respond with an equally depth filled revelation…" he cleared his throat and glanced at her side long before continuing "I'm starting to feel a tiny bit lighter Granger, there's something cathartic about being a school boy again but getting to do it my way… no father breathing down my neck, no constant fear, nobody telling me who my friends need to be… yes I'm feeling a tiny bit less burdened" he finished and cleared his throat again, as if to indicate that he'd maybe shared too much.

"Malfoy, you're just a chatty Kathy, I can't get a word in." She sniggered and nudged him playfully "But seriously… I know what you mean, it feels nice being back." she grinned a little and they proceeded to the head's office in thoughtful silence.

When they arrived at the head mistress's office it was to find a pacing house elf in a small pinstripe robe;

"Headmistresses McGonagall has been expecting you, she received a very angry message from the new teacher" the little elf sang as he tugged them onto the revolving stair way. "but I think you'll be fine because Headmistress laughed when I read her the message and told me to send you up when you get here… but don't tell her I told you about the laughing, I'm only helping you out because I picked up one of Miss Hermione's hats and got freed and learned to read." he grinned, little eyes bulging "I'm one of the Grangers!" he said proudly displaying a badge with a badly rendered painting of Hermione grinning toothily and holding a knitted hat. "We are elfs freed by Miss Granger, we are our own club!" he said happily before shoving the silent and possibly overwhelmed pair into the office now held by Professor McGonagall.

The old witch cut a daunting figure, haloed by sun light streaming in from the window behind her; the black pointed had seeming blacker than usual contrasted with the sun.

"You've been back not more than five minutes Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy and already… sit down would you, it's hard to tell you off with Mr Malfoy looking like a grown man… where was I? Right… not back five minutes and already you're causing trouble…" she was interrupted by Hermione, now sitting in a very sunken arm chair, her hand was raised.

"Yes Miss Granger?" McGonagall said in exasperation

"Professor, you're limping badly … I've got some spare salve 19, I was going to drop it off later anyway." Hermione smiled and handed her Headmistress the small glass tub.

"Thank you Miss Granger… but don't think for one second this'll get you off…" McGonagall was distracted again as she popped the lid and sniffed the balm a smile creeping on her face "lavender is it?"

"Yes professor, I thought it you'd like it" Hermione smiled pleasantly while Draco tried his best not to snigger.

"Listen, the pair of you, I'll not beat around the bush… The ministry have gone from being an evil dictatorship to the polar opposite of absolute politically correct pencil pushers… They have requested that I allow Miss Copperpot a year at our school with the option to keep her on if I deem it suitable. I doubt I will… but needless to say it is in the schools and my best interests if I give the ministry this one, for a quiet life down the line." she said tiredly as she slumped into her winged arm chair.

"I understand Professor… but it all seems rather futile, we all deal with our problems in our own ways, my way is to ignore self indulgent flower children who want me to do yoga and hug strangers." Hermione responded adding a shrug at the end to further convey her disinterest in Miss Copperpot's class.

"Yes, you and I have always been alike in that respect Hermione… but rules are rules and this is school. As much as I'd like to treat you both as adults I have to set a good example… if I singled you out and gave you a free pass I'd be seen as remiss… what I can tell you is that while you must attend that "class" you are in no way obliged to actually take part, Miss Copperpot has already agreed that there will be no homework and those who wish not to share with the group cannot be compelled…" she stopped and thought for a minute "Might I suggest Mr Malfoy you share with Hermione that little charm you devised for making books invisible to all but the reader? I'm led to believe that's how you occupied yourself in divination." She smiled kindly at Draco who ducked his head to hide his ever growing smirk… he was definitely feeling lighter.

"Well now that that's sorted…" she looked at the large clock "there's 15 minutes till morning break you might as well stay here until then, no point going back to antagonise poor Celesta" the headmistress smirked a little herself "There's something, well someone I think you'll both enjoy seeing." She cocked her head towards a large rectangle of red velvet curtain, small silver moons patch worked across the fabric, McGonagall stood and limped towards a yellow chord which she barely tugged and the curtain swept aside, Hermione's chest tightened.

"Dumbledore?" Hermione whispered walking towards the rather colourful rendition of her former headmaster and leader.

"Hello dear!" oil paint Dumbledore said happily, looking like he was almost bursting from the canvas.

"of course he couldn't just have had it done the normal way" McGonagall sighed shaking her head "he left specific instructions which involved mixing the liquid from his pensive into the paint and commissioning a muggle by the name of Rolf Harris to paint him from a photograph he got taken at a funfair in Brighton, had to completely modify the muggles memory." McGonagall moved back to her desk and lit a pipe.

"Sir… it's so good to…" Hermione was choking up, Draco moved towards the painting, begging his hand not to reach up and stroke it. Dumbledore had been the only person to see the good in him; he had been the only one to believe in him.

"I always thought you two should be friends." Dumbledore stated as he eyed the almost natural way Draco had placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder. Draco looked at his white hand shocked at the notion that after only 24 hours, touching her… even if it was just her shoulder, had become common place.

"Very compatible I always thought." He nodded happily and Draco removed his hand stealthily, Hermione turned to look at the now vacant spot on her shoulder, tears yet again staining her now rosy cheeks.

"now now Hermione you mustn't get upset I was a very old man and bound to die eventually… besides being a painting has completely opened up my social calendar." He grinned and popped a painted sherbet lemon into his mouth.

"We miss you." Hermione sniffed as she tried to smile, Dumbledore nodded in response and patted thin air, and Hermione felt a comforting tap on the back of her hand and looked at her old swarthy Headmaster with curiosity and a raised eyebrow.

"I heard you broke it off with young Mr Weasley." Dumbledore said as though trying to shift her focus.

"How on earth could you have heard about that?" Hermione asked, her voice a little high.

"Being Dumbledore he's obviously made friends with every other painting in the wizarding world… and if he's not off having tea with some stoic woman in Paris called Lisa he's being requested for conferences with every bloody minister in the western world… even as a painting you're a busy body Albus!" McGonagall snapped playfully at her best friend.

"I sometimes visit a young chap called Garrett who dwells in a cottage in an autumnal forest located in Arthur Weasley's new work shop. I'm often curious to see what magical muggle items he comes up with, and with the new magical and muggle cooperation laws I suggested to Kingsley coming into play, it seems our friend Arthur will be turning a pretty penny rather soon with his creations." Albus couldn't help but look a little smug, even as just a painting he was instrumental in the ministry.

"Oh, well yes… it wasn't working out." Hermione responded unsurely, never having had a conversation about her love life with Dumbledore before.

"It was probably for the best, as I understand it he was a bit of a… how would Garrett put it? A bit of a shit?" Dumbledore finished, fingering his beard thoughtfully. Hermione snorted with laughter.

"Well you two best be off, things to learn, bereavement councillors to offend." McGonagall nodded to the door indicating they should leave. Hermione said her goodbyes and picked up her satchel as she headed to the door, Draco lingered "Thanks sir… thanks for seeing the best in me" Draco almost whispered to the painting.

"You're a good man Draco and that's quite a friend you've made there, she's a human barometer for good you know, you can see it in her, and you are _her_ friend now… if you're ever in doubt Mr Malfoy remember that." Draco didn't so much hear the words as feel them, he also felt a small pat on his back, he was shocked but hid it well. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder following Hermione who bore a questioning expression.

When they were alone in the corridor they looked at each other "I think he can touch stuff in the real world." Malfoy said, a grin tugging his lips.

"I think he can do magic." Hermione said beaming.

"Why do you think that?" Draco asked as he and Hermione began walking again this time towards the dungeons and their first potions lesson.

"He spoke to me… in my head; telepathy indicates some form of magical ability." She stated plainly.

"What did he say to you?" Draco inquired.

"That's private" Hermione responded a little too quickly "it's just as well he's one of the good guys… imagine if we'd had to go up against him, he's too brilliant." Hermione smiled wryly and shook her head.

"I think it's his goodness that makes him so brilliant though, I mean had he been evil I don't think he'd be half as smart." Draco responded.

"That's a very astute observation, just as well Copperpot's not here, I'm sure she'd drop khaki trou for insights like that." Hermione chuckled as she picked up her pace, Draco matching her stride for stride also chuckling.

* * *

The rest of the day had flown past rather uneventfully, she and Draco had paired up for potions leaving George to work with Dean. And even though the potion they were brewing was rather advanced she had found the whole process streamline and easy with Draco, her intellectual equal, by her side rather than Harry or Ron who just seemed to panic and flap. At lunch she, Draco and George had laughed as George told them how the rest of Miss Copperpot's class had gone. _Evidentially it had gone bad, with the rest of the class refusing to share any horrific past events with the woman who eventually just ordered them to meditate for half an hour_. After lunch the three had headed to charms where a seating plan had told them that Draco and Hermione would be desk mates while George would be left to sit with Pansy Parkinson. Hermione kept a close eye on George throughout the class and although they seemed to work in silence, there was a cohesion that she hadn't expected between George and the new no-nonsense Pansy.

And so the 20 strong 7th years sat eating their dinner and chatting quietly, most Hermione knew as DA members and a few older students she recognised as those expelled by Umbridge. A group of giggling sixth years sauntered past gabbing excitedly "Thomas Chamberlin's got a bottle of fire whiskey!" one of them tittered "Mariah says it's only right we kick the year off with a party." Another girl said sounding unsure "Listen Lucy don't be a wimp about this, if you're ever going to Snog Darren it'll be tonight… while he's drunk" The third girl and obviously the Alpha snipped as the sashayed through the large oak doors.

"The sprogs are having a party." Seamus sighed as he poked at his steak.

"Are any of us prefects any more? Should we be putting a stop to it?" Hermione asked with little enthusiasm. Nobody spoke up.

"I think all the prefects are sixth years and as for head boy and girl… it's none of us… we thought it was you and Malfoy." A Ravenclaw man who was around the same age as George spoke up as he scratched his stubble.

"Nope not me thank Merlin… if life has taught me anything it's that rules are good and all that but my god making other people follow them is exhausting... let the teachers deal with the sixth years" Hermione yawned and took advantage of her gaping mouth to pop a boiled potato in.

"You'd think we were all ancient." Dean laughed "maybe we should follow suit? I mean christen the new common room?" he shrugged questioningly looking round the table.

"we could get dressed up?" Luna asked grinning excitedly.

"do we have to? I mean can't it be a pyjama party or a lets all wear sweats and not have to do anything to our hair party?" Hermione groaned.

"Don't be a stick in the mud 'Mione, put on a dress get drunk and do that thing where you try to rap!" Dean laughed, a few of the order members who'd seen Hermione at a post war party knew what he was talking about and chuckled too.

"Does anyone have any objections to a small party in our common room then?" Hermione asked the table at large, all heads shook eagerly except Pansy who looked thoughtful.

"Pansy? You not into the whole party idea?" Hermione asked, speaking directly to her former tormentor for the first time in years.

"Am I obliged to join in?" Pansy asked in a business like tone.

"Not at all, feel free to stay in your room and cast a silencing charm." Hermione said in an equally formal way.

"Will there be charades?" Pansy asked, a look of derision on her small thin face.

"Absolutely not, under no circumstances will there be any parlour games." Hermione reassured her.

"Then I am not opposed to the idea and may attend if the feeling takes me." Pansy said clearly and continued to eat. "Then it's settled, there shall be a party in the seventh year common room tonight and anyone who pukes and doesn't clean it up will be sentenced to mandatory laundry services for all housemates as reparations for being disgusting." Hermione banged her goblet like a gavel and looked to her peers who were all grinning at her.

"You're so going to be on The Wizengamot when you're old." Seamus said laughingly.

"Probably… that's why I need to get all the sex, drugs and rock and roll out of my system now… it's on my list." Hermione muttered to herself, only a sniggering George and a pensive Draco hearing her.

TBC

**A/N hope you enjoyed, I know there's a big gap between chapters but in real life I'm actually a monkey trainer (no I'm not… but it's less weird than the truth)… I hope you like this chapter. I really enjoyed writing a new dynamic between McGonagall and Hermione, given that they've crossed the whole teacher student thing as comrades in the war. I hope you're looking forward to the party… which I think is going to be fun and not at all clichéd… I hope… it might be a little clichéd I am a girl with a deep love of early 2000's Fredie Prinze Jr films. Any way folks, till next time!**


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